Category: Pets

We’ve heard it said: pets often sense when something is wrong, especially when their human companions are ill.

Our family has observed this in action recently. Our son-in-law broke his leg while skiing, requiring surgery and weeks of recuperation. Our daughter takes great care of him, of course. They’re a very caring couple. And they both noticed that their cats, Jerome (above) and Simon (below), have been extra attentive.

What’s even more interesting: Simon tends to be reclusive, and Jerome tends to be edgy at times. But they have both been showering our son-in-law with attention and affection.

It’s not just the cats in our family that have stepped up when someone is ill.

The canine crew has been just as observant and affectionate.

Kinu, the gentle-giant, was my constant companion through pain-riddled days after a car accident. Sometimes, he would put a paw on the side of the bed, as if to reassure me.

We’ve seen similar behaviour from our younger daughter and son-in-law’s pets too, staying extra close when someone is ill.

But right now, it’s Nurse Simon and Nurse Jerome to the rescue. They keep our son-in-law company when our daughter goes to work, and their actions make him smile.

As our son-in-law (and anyone who’s been laid up with injuries and been helped by their pets) knows, that’s a true gift.

Bravo, Simon and Jerome. And to all the canine and feline family members who help nurse us back to health.

Like this:

Our grand-cat, Jerome, disappeared. He’d gone for his usual short walk in his Seattle neighborhood, but didn’t return home. Our daughter and son-in-law were — as pet-lovers everywhere can imagine — deeply distressed.

I could hear the worry in their voices, even as they tried to be calm.

Two days passed. No Jerome.

~~

They searched every nook and cranny in their new neighborhood and beyond. They posted notices, knocked on neighbours’ doors, and prayed.

Relatives in Toronto, New York, Texas, and everywhere, were also distressed. Jerome and his brother, Simon, are loved by us all. The news spread fast, as did the anxiety.

Four days passed. No Jerome.

~~

“Mom”, as everyone calls my mother-in-law, prayed. She made us all smile when she revealed that she had even called the American prayer line “Unity” with a prayer request.

“This poor cat was moved from Toronto and moved again to a new home just a few months ago,” she told the person who answered. “And now he’s lost.”

“Could you give me the new address?” the lady asked sympathetically.

“I can’t remember it right now,” Mom replied. “I’m a bit upset.”

The lady soothed her and they prayed together.

Five days passed, then six. No Jerome.

~~

The following morning, just before 5 a.m. (just before 2 a.m. Seattle time) our daughter texted the family to say Jerome was found.

Good Samaritan “Abe” lives several busy intersections away from Jerome’s neighborhood. He was out for a late-night smoke and saw Jerome. Concerned, he got close enough to read the contact information on Jerome’s collar and phoned.

It was such good news for our daughter and son-in-law and for the whole family.

Dawson listened quietly as my daughter, then my husband, thanked him for being in our family, and bade him a loving farewell. Then I read to him: from An Honest House, the chapter I had lovingly written about him.

Would you believe it? He lay perfectly still on my lap the whole time I read, attentive, as if taking in every word. I shall miss him.

~Our older daughter and son-in-law live in the USA, and I miss them a lot. I look forward to hearing from them, including their weekly call together on a Sunday. I also miss their cats, Simon and Jerome.

So it made my day when they sent new photos of the cats. Below, Jerome is practicing the art of camouflage. Can you even see him?

Simon, meanwhile, has come out of the closet. (Yes, for years – until very recently — his favourite place was inside a closet.)

~Dawson, whom our younger daughter rescued four years ago, was looking weak the other day, especially when compared to Julius, who has energy to spare.

Mr. D. is old now, and he’s mostly blind and part-deaf. But he must have heard me fretting about whether “we’ve arrived at that time”, because, just hours later, he was running around. One day a decision will have to be made, but not yet.

~And finally, the daily phone call from our younger daughter. She calls after work each day and when the phone rings, I’m delighted, eager to hear how her day went, glad to hear her voice.

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